U.S. patent number 6,034,505 [Application Number 09/127,862] was granted by the patent office on 2000-03-07 for rechargeable charging cradle and night light.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SelfCharge Inc.. Invention is credited to Brian A. Arthur, David S. Nierescher.
United States Patent |
6,034,505 |
Arthur , et al. |
March 7, 2000 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Rechargeable charging cradle and night light
Abstract
A rechargeable apparatus for mounting onto a battery-powered
device and providing power. The apparatus includes a housing for
slideably receiving the battery-powered device, a jack that is
insertable into a power outlet on the battery-powered device, a
rotatable AC plug mounted to the housing, and a night light coupled
to the AC plug and positioned on the housing to supply illuminating
light. Also, the apparatus includes at least one rechargeable
battery and a charging circuit mounted inside the housing. The jack
and night light may be mounted on a support arm that extends away
from the housing.
Inventors: |
Arthur; Brian A. (E. Greenwich,
RI), Nierescher; David S. (Newcastle, WA) |
Assignee: |
SelfCharge Inc. (Redmond,
WA)
|
Family
ID: |
26724868 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/127,862 |
Filed: |
May 20, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
320/113;
320/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M
50/20 (20210101); H02J 7/0042 (20130101); Y02E
60/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01M
2/10 (20060101); H02J 7/00 (20060101); H01M
010/46 () |
Field of
Search: |
;320/107,111,112,113,114,115 ;D13/103,107,108 ;429/96,100 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tso; Edward H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christensen O'Connor Johnson &
Kindness PLLC
Parent Case Text
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 60/047,301, filed May 20, 1997.
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A rechargeable cradle and power supply unit for mounting onto a
battery-powered device and providing power thereto, the
battery-powered device includes an upper side and a lower side, the
upper side being useable for interfacing with a user, said cradle
and power supply comprising:
a housing for slideably receiving the battery-powered device in a
manner that allows the upper side to remain unencumbered;
a jack wherein the jack is insertable into a power outlet on the
battery-powered device;
a rotatable AC plug mounted to the housing, wherein the AC plug is
insertable into an AC outlet;
at least one rechargeable battery and a charging circuit mounted
inside the housing; and
a switch coupled to the AC plug, the jack, the at least one
rechargeable battery and the charging circuit for controlling the
operation of the unit; the switch including a first position in
which the AC plug is connected to the charging circuit to recharge
the at least one rechargeable battery, the AC plugs being
disconnected from powering the battery-powered device; and the
switch including a second position in which the jack is connected
to the at least one rechargeable battery to allow the at least one
rechargeable battery to power the battery-powered device, the AC
plug being disabled from recharging the at least one rechargeable
battery.
2. The unit of claim 1, further comprising:
a night light coupled to the AC plug via the switch and positioned
on the housing to supply illuminating light.
3. The unit of claim 2, wherein if the switch is in the first
position, the AC plug is connected to the charging circuit and the
night light.
4. The unit of claim 1, further comprising:
a night light coupled to the AC plug and positioned on the support
arm to supply illuminating light.
5. The unit of claim 4, wherein if the switch is in the first
position, the AC plug is connected to the charging circuit and the
night light.
6. The unit of claim 1, wherein the housing is a substantially flat
rectangular shape having a first and second main sides, the first
main side being opposite the second main side; the housing further
including flanged side supports extending outward from the first
main side and a support arm extending longitudinally from one end
of the housing, the jack being located at the distal end of the
support arm;
wherein during use, the battery-powered device is slideably
received between the flanged side supports and the jack engages the
device; the lower side of the battery-powered device is adjacent
the first main side of the housing so that the upper side of the
battery-powered device faces outward.
7. The unit of claim 6, wherein the support arm is made of a
flexible material.
8. The unit of claim 6, wherein the rotatable AC plug is positioned
to extend from the housing second main side and the switch is
located on the housing on an end opposite the support arm.
9. The unit of claim 6, further comprising a night light coupled to
the AC plug via the switch and positioned on the support arm to
supply illuminating light.
10. The unit of claim 1, wherein the housing is a substantially
flat rectangular shape having a top piece, the top piece includes
side walls and an end wall that form a three-sided cavity to
slideably receive the device, the jack is located on the end wall
and faces inward to engage the battery-powered device; the upper
side of the battery-powered device faces outward.
11. The unit of claim 10, further comprising a night light coupled
to the AC plug via the switch and positioned on the top piece near
the jack to supply illuminating light.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a rechargeable power pack for hand-held
battery-powered devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rechargeable batteries used in hand-held battery-powered devices
tend to provide power for approximately two hours when fully
charged. This greatly limits operating time of the device. Battery
and device manufacturers are continually searching for ways for
extending battery life, thereby extending device operating time.
The following are techniques for getting the most operating time
from devices that use rechargeable batteries.
One method is to recharge the rechargeable batteries by removing
them from the battery-powered device and inserting them into a
recharging stand. Although recharging stands are an effective way
for recharging multiple batteries, the recharging stands are quite
large and thus take up valuable space and weight in a travel bag if
one is to get use from it while traveling.
Tortola et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,879, discloses a rechargeable
power pack unit that connects by a cord to a battery-powered device
for providing power. The power pack includes a plug that inserts
into an AC outlet, thereby receiving AC power that is translated
into a DC signal for recharging the rechargeable batteries within
the power pack. When the power pack is not connected to an AC
outlet and is connected by a jack to a battery-powered device, the
rechargeable batteries within the power pack discharge a DC current
for powering the device. Essentially, Tortola et al.'s power pack
is an additional power source for a battery-powered device, thereby
extending operating time of the device. However, this power pack is
quite cumbersome. If the battery-powered device is a hand-held game
such as a Nintendo.RTM. Gameboy.RTM., the cord and power pack
become an inconvenience to the operator who may tend to move the
Gameboy.RTM. in an exaggerated fashion in order to operate
effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention a rechargeable apparatus for
mounting onto a battery-powered device and providing power is
provided. The apparatus includes a housing for slideably receiving
the battery-powered device, a jack that is insertable into a power
outlet on the battery-powered device, a rotatable AC plug mounted
to the housing, and a night light coupled to the AC plug and
positioned on the housing to supply illuminating light. Also, the
apparatus includes at least one rechargeable battery and a charging
circuit mounted inside the housing.
In accordance with other aspects of this invention, the jack and
night light are mounted on a support arm that extends away from the
housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this
invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes
better understood by reference to the following detailed
description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a first embodiment of the
rechargeable charging cradle and night light;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rechargeable charging cradle of
FIGS. 1 and 2 connected to a battery-powered computer game
device;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of a second embodiment of the
rechargeable charging cradle and night light;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the
rechargeable charging cradle of FIGS. 4 and 5 connected to a
battery-powered computer game device; and
FIG. 7 is a side view of the second embodiment of the rechargeable
charging cradle of FIGS. 4 and 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a
rechargeable charging cradle and night light formed in accordance
with the present invention. The rechargeable charging cradle and
night light 20 includes a main housing 22 with a power jack 24
connected to the main housing 22 by a semiflexible powering arm 26
longitudinally mounted on the main housing 22. The main housing 22
is primarily rectangular in shape with a width slightly wider than
that of the battery-powered device.
On a first side of the main housing 22 are device supports. The
device supports include two raised platforms 30 mounted
longitudinally near the outer edges of the first side. Mounted
outward of each raised platform 30 and to the corners of the main
housing 22 are four support structures 32 (one approximately at
each corner of the housing 22). The support structures 32 are
column-like supports that extend orthogonally from the surface of
the first side. Mounted between each pair of supports 32 are one of
the raised platforms 30 at one end and a single flange 34 that
resembles a popsicle stick at the other end. Flange 34 is
longitudinally positioned between the supports 32, thereby
providing a cavity or track between flange 34 and platform 30. The
track is sufficiently wide enough to slide the battery-powered
device through without interfering with any controls or displays on
the device.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the powering arm connects to a second
side of the main housing 22. The second side of the main housing 22
is orthogonal to the first side of the main housing 22. The
powering arm 26 extends orthogonally away from the second side. The
powering arm 26 is formed of a semirigid plastic material formed in
the shape of an S at the end closest to the main housing 22. This
design and material allow the arm 26 to be functionally flexible.
Connected at the other end of the powering arm 26 is a jack and
light support 40. The jack and light support 40 includes a base
portion 42 connected to the powering arm 26, a back plate 44 that
extends orthogonally away from the base portion 42, and a cover
flange that extends away from back plate 44 back towards the main
housing 22. The base portion 42, the back plate 44 and the cover
flange 46 form a smaller support track equal in width to the device
support track and is located at a 90.degree. distance from the
first side equal to that of the track in the device support track.
The three tracks formed all have their opening facing the center of
the main housing 22. Mounted into the surface of the back plate 44
within the support track is the power jack 24. Mounted flush to the
outer surface of the base portion 42 is night light 48.
Rotatably mounted to a third side of the main housing 22 are plug
prongs 50. The third side is opposite the first side. Plug prongs
50 rotate between two operating positions. In a first position, the
plug prongs 50 are contained within plug prong cavities 52. The
cavities 52 allow the plug prongs 50 to be flush with the third
side of the main housing 22. When the plug prongs 50 are in the
second position, they extend away from the main housing 22 to a
position orthogonal to the third side.
Mounted on a fourth side of the main housing 22 is a slideable
switch 38 for controlling the modes of operation of the
rechargeable charging cradle and night light 20. The fourth side is
orthogonal to the first side and opposite the second side. When the
plug prongs 50 are recessed into cavities 52, their ends extend
into a cavity cut from the fourth side. Each of the plug prongs 50
have concave tips, thereby allowing for easy user interaction.
Inside housing 22 are rechargeable batteries 58 and a charging
circuit 60. It ca be appreciated to those of ordinary skill in the
art of charging circuits, that the specifics of the charging
circuit are dependent upon the type and size of rechargeable
batteries and received AC voltage values.
As shown in FIG. 3, a battery-powered device slides through the
supports on the housing 22 and into the support created by the jack
and light support 40. In this position, the jack inserts into the
DC receiving socket on the battery-powered device.
When a battery-powered device is connected to the rechargeable
charging cradle 20, the battery pack can operate in one of two
modes. The switch position determines the operating mode. When the
switch is in a first position, the rechargeable batteries supply
power to the device through the DC jack. The prongs 50 and night
light 48 are disconnected from all other components. When the
switch is in a second position and the plug prongs 50 are rotated
to the charging position, the plug prongs 50 connect to the
rechargeable batteries through the charging circuit 60 and no
connection is made between the jack 24 and the rechargeable
batteries. Also, the night light 48 connects to the prongs 50. If
the prongs 50 are then inserted in an AC outlet, AC power is
supplied to the charging circuit 60. The charging circuit 60
translates the AC voltage into a DC voltage required to charge the
rechargeable batteries. Therefore, the preferred usage is to have
the rechargeable charging cradle and night light 20 always mounted
to the device, thereby providing extended operating power to the
device or a cradle for storage.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
rechargeable charging cradle and night light formed in accordance
with the present invention. The second embodiment of the
rechargeable charging cradle and night light 100 includes a main
housing 102 that includes a top and a bottom piece 108 and 110. The
bottom piece 110 includes four side walls 118-121 and a bottom side
124. The bottom side 124 includes ridges for providing gripping of
the rechargeable charging cradle and night light 100. Attached at
approximately the top edge of the two longer side walls 118 and 119
and one of the shorter side walls 120 is a backplate surface 126.
The backplate surface 126 is sufficiently wide enough to allow the
bottom piece 110 to fully receive the top piece 108.
Rotatably mounted to the bottom piece 110 are plug prongs 114. Plug
prongs 114 rotate between two operating positions. In a first
position, the plug prongs 114 are contained within plug prong
cavities 116. The cavities 116 allow the plug prongs 114 to be
flush with the bottom piece 110, as shown in FIG. 4. When the plug
prongs 114 are recessed, their ends are approximately flush with a
curved indent on the side wall 121. When the plug prongs 114 are in
the second position (not shown), they extend away from the main
housing 102 to a position orthogonal to the bottom side 124.
The top piece 108 of the main housing 102 is formed to slideably
receive the battery-powered device. The top piece 108 includes a
receiving cavity or track for slideably receiving the
battery-powered device. The receiving cavity or track is
multi-level for receiving a battery-powered device that is not a
perfect boxed rectangle, such as Nintendo.RTM. Gameboy.RTM.. The
bottom surface 132 is approximately rectangular in shape with two
side edges and a top and bottom edge. The first level of the
receiving cavity or track is formed by a bottom surface 132 and
side walls 134 that are attached to the bottom surface 132. The
side walls 134 are attached at greater than a 90.degree. along the
two side edges and the bottom edge of the bottom surface 132. The
side walls 134 extend away from the center of the bottom surface
132.
A second level of the receiving cavity or track is a square
C-shaped cavity that extends above the side walls 134. Extending
from the top of the side walls 134 is a platform surface 136 that
forms the base of the C-shaped cavity . The platform surface 136 is
approximately parallel to the bottom surface 132. A second level
side wall 138 is mounted to the outside edge of the platform
surface 136 along the two side edges of bottom surface 132. The
second level side wall 138 is approximately orthogonal to the
platform surface 136. The second level side wall 138 extends below
the platform surface 136 to mate with the backplate surface 126 of
the bottom piece 110. Also, the second level side wall 138 extends
above the platform surface 136 to mount to a flange 140. The flange
140 is mounted to the second level side wall 138 to be
approximately opposite and parallel to the platform surface 136.
The second level side wall 138 is slightly longer at the ends of
the second level side wall 138 opposite the bottom edge of the
bottom surface 132. The flange 140 at the slightly longer parts of
the second level side wall 138 form tabs 142 that make contact with
the top surface of the battery-powered device when the device is
properly inserted, as shown in FIG. 6.
As shown in FIG. 7, a base tab 144 is mounted on the flange 140
above the bottom edge of the bottom surface 132. The base tab 144
extends to a distance away from the bottom surface 132
approximately equal to that of the tabs 142. The base tab 144
extends over the created cavity for making contact with the top
surface of the battery-powered device when the device is properly
inserted, as shown in FIG. 6. The top and bottom piece 108 and 110
form first and second internal cavities. The first cavity is formed
by the four sides 118-121 and the bottom side 124 of the bottom
piece 110 and the bottom surface 132 of the top piece 108. The
second cavity is formed at about the bottom edge of the bottom
surface 132 by the backplate surface 126 of the bottom piece 110
and the second level side wall 138 and flange 140. The first cavity
includes rechargeable batteries and a charging circuit (not shown).
The second cavity includes connections for a power jack 150 and a
socket for a night light 152. The power jack 150 protrudes from the
second cavity between the bottom surface 132 and the base tab
144.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the battery-powered device slides into the
rechargeable charging cradle and night light 100, the power jack
150 inserts into the DC receiving socket on the battery-powered
device.
Mounted on the bottom side 124 of the main housing 22 is a slide
switch 156 for controlling the modes of operation of the
rechargeable charging cradle and night light 100. The operation of
the rechargeable charging cradle and night light 100 is similar to
that describe above for rechargeable charging cradle and night
light 20.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various
changes ca be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *